Elite League
Wolverhampton Speedway: Narrow defeat
By Nick
May 6, 2008, 21:48

Elite League: WOLVERHAMPTON 44 COVENTRY 45

PARRYS International Wolves slipped to their second home defeat of the season as they went down in agonising fashion against local rivals Coventry.

Wolves required a 5-1 from the last race to snatch victory in a dramatic meeting, but although captain Fredrik Lindgren superbly overtook Chris Harris for the win, the British Champion held on ahead of Niels-Kristian Iversen for second place to clinch it for the Bees.

Wolves had trailed for much of the meeting after being hit by two successive Coventry 5-1s in Heats 2 and 3, but remained in contention with Lindgren posting a series of wins.

However, they lost David Howe with concussion after a bizarre accident in Heat 11 when race leader Rory Schlein got out of shape, and the following Wolves riders - Howe and Christian Hefenbrock - crashed together.

Coventry were far from impressed when Schlein was excluded for the second time in the meeting, although Wolves had also felt that Heat 5 should have been re-started when Iversen tangled with Stanislaw Burza on the way to the first bend and suffered machine damage and had to retire from the race.

Visiting riders won Heats 11, 12 and 14 as the Bees protected their lead, and they were also content to pack in behind Lindgren in Heat 13 with Howe's absence costly, and Harris then did enough in the decider.

WOLVES: Fredrik Lindgren 13, Niels-Kristian Iversen 7, Kenneth Hansen 7, Nicolai Klindt 6+2, Ales Dryml 6, David Howe 3, Christian Hefenbrock 2+1.

COVENTRY: Chris Harris 13, Simon Stead 9+1, Stan Burza 9, Billy Janniro 8+2, Rory Schlein 4, Ben Barker 2+1, Olly Allen R/R.